Setting trotlines is a popular way to catch fish in the United States and many other countries of the world. Trotlines are especially effective in running streams but are also used in lakes. A trotline is a simple system consisting of a line of heavier cord that can be made of woven fibers that in the past were typically cotton fibers but at the present time are frequently plastic fibers. At space interval, leaders are attached to the trotline. Specifically, a leader, which usually is of a smaller diameter line, has one end attached to the trotline and the other end attached to a hook. The length of the main cord of a the trotline may be several feet up to several hundred feet. The typical leader is usually approximately 18-24 inches in length however this length can vary. At the outer end of the leader, a fishhook is attached.
After a trotline has been set in the water, such as from one bank to an opposite bank of a flowing stream, the fisherman places bait on each of the hooks. Weights may be employed for sinking the entire trotline below the surface of the water. The leaders allow movement of the bait at a space away from the main trotline so that the main line itself is not a distraction to fish.
Usually a trotline is placed in the water and baited in the evening and the next morning the fisherman runs the trotline to remove any fish that are caught and to replace the bait that has disappeared. The trotline may be baited just once a day or may be baited more frequently throughout a day according to the preference of the fisherman.
This method of fishing, as above indicated, is popular and commonly employed. One problem with trotlines is that of gathering up a trotline when it is removed from use in a body of water. Sometimes fisherman will individually remove the leaders from a trotline before taking up the main line so as to prevent the leaders and the hooks from becoming entangled with each other. However, this procedure is time consuming since it then requires the leaders to be reattached to the trotline when it is next used. A more common procedure employed by fisherman is to take up the trotline with the leaders and hooks still attached. A problem is to take up the line so that the leaders and hooks do not become entangled with each other so that the trotline can be readily re-deployed. To facilitate storing a trotline when not in use, others have provided trotline holders. Known type of trotline holders are exemplified by the following previously issued United States patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. INVENTOR TITLE ______________________________________ 1,634,030 Korkames Fishing Line 1,997,243 Vanderhider et al. Trot Line Holder and Setter 2,242,509 Coalson Fishhook and Trotline Holder 2,541,920 Hammock Fishing Hook and Line Carrier 2,633,661 Stevens et al. Fishhook and Line Holder 2,804,716 Adkison Fishing Trot Line Hook Retainer and Dispenser 3,842,530 Jackson et al. Fishhook and Trotline Holder and Dispenser 4,827,659 Gulley et al. Trotline Device ______________________________________
The present invention is related to the basic subject matter shown in these patents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,997,243; 3,842,530 and 2,242,509 are most closely related to the present invention. Each of these show a housing into which individual fishhooks can be slidably positioned with a member in the housing retaining the fishhooks to allow the leaders and the trotline itself to hang downwardly from the housing. The present invention is directed to improvements in the basic type of trotline holder as revealed in these three last mentioned United States patents.